Kate Middleton Had Several Normal Jobs Before Becoming a Royal. Here's What She Did
Kate Middleton Had Several Normal Jobs Before Becoming a Royal. Here's What She Did
Lynsey EidellThu, April 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Kate Middleton in August 2004 in Oxfordshire, Britain; Catherine, Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle on December 3, 2025 in Windsor, England.Credit: Stephen Lock/Shutterstock; Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty
Before Kate Middleton married Prince William in April 2011, she had plenty of run-of-the-mill jobs.
As a working member of the British royal family, the Princess of Wales spends time appearing at royal engagements, conducting diplomatic visits and dedicating time to her various charitable patronages and initiatives — which include early childhood development and well-being, fighting addiction and supporting the arts. Kate also juggles royal duties with the motherhood, as she and William raise their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way,” Kate said on ITV after her and William's engagement.
But before she was leaving her mark as a member of the royal family, Kate held a series of normal, non-royal jobs, working from the summer before she left for university up until she became engaged to William in late 2010.
From her first job as a teenager to the roles she held following her graduation from college, here is everything to know about Kate Middleton’s résumé before becoming a royal.
She worked as a deckhand to earn money for college
Kate Middleton during her graduation ceremony on June 23, 2005 in Scotland.Credit: MICHAEL DUNLEA/POOL/AFP via Getty
The summer before Kate went to college at the University of St. Andrews, she spent four months working as a deckhand at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, according to Katie Nicholl’s book Kate: The Future Queen. She reportedly spent up to 11 hours a day working on boats, earning $75 per day.
“It was back-breaking work," Cal Tomlinson, one of Kate’s coworkers, told Nicholl. "Kate mucked in and was very professional ... She was competent and confident but very unassuming.”
She worked as a waitress when she was in college
Kate Middleton Skiing In Klosters, Switzerland.Credit: Antony Jones/Brendan Bierne/UK Press via Getty
To earn some extra money while studying at the University of St. Andrews (where she met and fell in love with Prince William), Kate briefly worked as a waitress, as she revealed on the 2019 BBC special A Berry Royal Christmas.
During the holiday special, Kate and host Mary Berry went to visit the Brink, a dry bar in Liverpool that also provides substance abuse support services. While there, Kate mixed herself a mocktail, telling Berry that it reminded her of her “university days when I did a bit of waitressing.”
Kate went on to share, however, that she was not very good as a server. “I was terrible,” she joked to Berry on the special.
The Princess of Wales’ waitressing days were later featured on The Crown. In season 6 of the Netflix series, a young Kate (Meg Bellamy) was shown working in a restaurant and watching William (Ed McVey) and a fictional girlfriend named Lola run from the paparazzi through the eatery’s window.
Her first job after college was with the British fashion brand Jigsaw
Kate Middleton.Credit: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Kate graduated from St. Andrews with an art history degree in 2005. The following year, she began her first post-college job at the British fashion brand Jigsaw. Kate worked part time as an accessories buyer, reportedly spending a few days a week in their London office.
Jigsaw founder Belle Robinson later described her as down to earth and “very mature for a 26-year-old,” according to the Evening Standard.
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"She sat in the kitchen at lunchtime and chatted with everyone from the van drivers to the account girls. She wasn’t precious," Robinson told the newspaper in 2008.
Kate went to work for her parents’ business, Party Pieces, in 2007
A decorated cake from the company Party Pieces is displayed on February 2, 2011 in London, England.Credit: Getty
In 2007, Kate left Jigsaw to work for her family’s company, Party Pieces. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, started the party supply company as a young mom after she was only able to find clown plates for Kate’s 5th birthday.
Kate joined the family business as a project manager in charge of marketing, per CBS News. She was reportedly responsible for arranging photo shoots, attending trade fairs and putting together the Christmas catalog.
Kate wasn’t the only Middleton child to work at the family business, either — both of her siblings, James and Pippa, held roles at the company as well. In 2022, Carole spoke about how each of the children contributed to the company in their own way.
“Party Pieces has literally grown alongside my family, and I'm very proud of that," Carole told Sheer Luxe. "Pippa wrote our 'Party Times' blog, James did the cakes when he first left school and Catherine developed our first birthday and baby category.”
Kate left Party Pieces in 2011 to prepare for life as a royal
Prince William with Kate Middleton after his graduation ceremony at RAF Cranwell on April 11, 2008 in Cranwell, England.Credit: Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/WireImage
Following William’s proposal in 2010, Kate left her job at Party Pieces to prepare for her new life as a royal.
A royal aide confirmed to the Daily Mail that Kate had stepped down from her role at her parents’ company in January 2011 in order to “concentrate full-time on preparing to become a member of the royal family.”
“She has handed over her work to colleagues and is now preparing for her future life,” the spokesperson added.
She defended her work ethic in her official engagement interview
Prince William and Kate Middleton on November 16, 2010 in London, EnglandCredit: Chris Jackson/Getty
Kate’s work ethic had been called into question over the years by the press, including during her official engagement interview that aired on ITV in November 2010.
In their first (and longest) joint interview, William and Kate fielded questions from ITV’s Tom Bradby for 18 minutes. At one point, Bradby asked Kate if criticisms of her work ethic were hurtful. Kate responded by defending herself and her work at her family’s company.
“I’ve been working very hard for the family business,” she told Bradby. “I think everyone who I work with I think can see that I’m there pulling my weight, and that’s really what matters to me.”
Kate also added at a different point in the interview that she planned to carry over that dedication to her work as a member of the royal family.
“I'm willing to learn quickly and work hard,” she said of becoming a working royal. “I am looking forward to helping as much as I can.”
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
